Lock for mailbag rope



2,7 98,370 n Lock ron MAILBAG nora Max W. Behnke, Chicago, Application December 27, 1954, Serial No. 477,716

2 Claims. (Cl. 70-64) This is a continuation in part of the co-pending application, Serial No. 432,445, filed May 26, 1954, now Patent 2,783,634, dated March 5, 1957.

The objects of the present invention. are such as are stated in my said co-pending application.

An additional object of the present invention is the provision of a rocking lever one end of which is capable of engaging two ends of a rope and pressing the same against a bridge plate which constitutes a part of the lock, when the opposite endof said lever is depressed and held in its depressed position by means of a padlock shackle, the latter being passed through apertures made in the side walls of the lock.

Another object of the present invention is the improved pivotal means for the said lever.

A still further object ofthe present invention` is to generally improve the construction and operation'of. a lock for locking the ends of a cord formed into a loop to engage the neck of a mail bag or the like.

Another object of the present invention is the` provision of a. swingable plate, pivotally supported upon the lock for the purpose of selectively shifting to its operative longitudinal relation with the lock for overlying the free end` of the said rocking lever andthe two endsof a rope disposed thereabove, for Vpreventing shifting of. the said free endof the rocking lever in anv upward direction and thereby for-preventing the disengagement of the opposite end of said rocking lever from the ends of the rope, or for the purpose of swinging said plate in a lateral direction, transversely of the lock, and from the path of the shifting movement of the free end ofsaid rocking lever preparatory to the conditioning of the lock for use or the disengagement thereof from the ends of the rope.`

Another object of the. present invention is the provision of an` eye at the freeend of said plate for passing therethrough and the walls of the lock of a wire or the like, the ends of which may be connected to a seal, thereby preventing shifting` of the said plate from its operative position, short of breaking of the wire, for thereby indicating whether or not. the lock has been tampered with. The seal` and the wire coacting therewith may be used with a padlock or independently thereof.

With the above general objects inview and others that willj appear as the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views;

Fig. 1 illustrates the operative position ofthe present lock and co-acting padlock with a bag` and cord looped around the neck thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan elevational view of the present lock in the operative position relative to two ends of a cord;

Fig. 3 isa side elevational view of thellock;

atnt

therewith;

1 115g. 6 is the near end elevational view of the present Fig 7 is a transverse cross sectional view throughpthe lock on line 7-7 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view on line 10-10 of Fig. 3;

Fig. l1 is a cross sectional view on line 11-11 of Fig. 3;

Fig. l2 is the far end elevational view of the lock;

Fig. 13 is a top plan elevational View of the near end of the lock with a plate pivotally supportable thereon for preventing the near end of rocking lever from swinging in an upward direction when said plate remains in its operative overlying relation therewith; and

Fig. 14 is a side elevational view of the near end of the lock showing the same plate in an operative position with respect to the free near end of the rocking lever and the ends of the rope disposed thereabove.

Referring in detail to the present drawing, in Fig. 1 there is shown a bag 13 for receiving mail or the like. VTightly looped around the neck of said bag 13 is rope or cord 14, the two ends of which leading from the loop are engaged by the present lock generallyindicated by 1'5 in-,Fig l.

Lock 15 includes an oblong base 16, provided along i-ts side edges with downwardly converging flanges 18 for the purpose of receiving therewithin in a contactual relation the upwardly projecting and outwardly diverging anges 19 of rectangular frame 20. Said flanges 18 exert strong frictional grip upon said flanges 19l for the purpose ofpreventing sliding or disengagement of said lframe 20 from said base 16. rfhe far end of frame 20 is provided with Van upwardly turned tongue 21 which contacts with the adjacent end of said base 16, as isclearly seen in Figs,` 5 and 12. Said frame 20 isin a spaced relation withsaid base 16.

The near end of said frame 20-is devoid of tongue 21 or of any other obstruction between said frame and said base 16 providing a slot through which ay cardV or the like bearing the name, address or both, of the receiver, consignee or the like may be inserted. The writing upon the card will be visible through the window defined by the four sides'of said frame 2t).

Co-acting with the near end of the lock isa U-shaped member 22, the ends of which are soldered, welded'or otherwise rigidly attached to said base 16. Extended throughthe transverse intermediate strip of said U-shaped member 22 is post 23 which is riveted to said strip and said baseV 16 and constitutes a divider between the two end` of the rope 14when the said ends remain inan oper- Vative position within the lock.

-said strip 25 and base 16 and by its end is riveted tothe two.

The near ends of said side walls 24 are upwardly extended to define projections 27, each of: which is provided with aperture 28, the two apertures 28 inthe two projections 27 being in a transverse alinem'ent, as is seen in Fig.` 8l

Rearwardly of said projections 27 the two sidewalls -24 atl their upper edges are connected by bridge: plate o 29. Rearwardly of said bridge plate 29 the two side walls 24 are provided with recesses 30, which are disposed forwardly of connecting strip 25.

Co-acting with the case of the lock hereinabove described is lever 31, which may be of a flattened form, as is seen in Figs. 3, and 8, and of a width substantially corresponding to the distance between said two side walls 24. Said lever.31 is substantially of an arcuate formation, having its both ends raised away from said base 16, with' an intermediate portion thereof in a contactual relation with said base 16. Pivot pin 32 overlies said lever 31and fits within asemi-annular transverse` depression made inthe latter, for maintaining the intermediate portion of said lever 31 in contactwith said base 16 and for permitting a rocking motion of said lever 31 upon said base 16 upon a point immediately below said pivot pinlltf.-v Y.

The near end of saidlever 31 projects forwardly of the adjacent end of said side walls Z4 and projections 27, while the far end of said lever 31 terminates in an upwardly directed tooth 33 which is disposed below the far end of said bridge plate 29.-

After cord 14 has been formed into one or more loops around the neck of bag 13 the free ends of said cord 14 may then be knotted, and thereupon each passed through the U-shaped member 22 and extended over and above the entire length of saidlever 31, above said tooth 33 and underfrsaid bridge plate 29, and then under said connecting strip 25, and `then extended from the lock case inra rearward direction, as is clearly seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 5.V Posts 23 and y26 divide and separate the two ends of rope 14 remaining within the lock.

When the two ends of rope 14 have been extended through the lock and when manual hold is obtained of the said two ends which extend rearwardly of the lock, a manual push imparted to the lock will cause the same to slide upon the ends of the rope and towards the loop thereof at the neck of bag 13, until the near end of the lock is in contact with said loop as seen in Fig. l. T hereupon, manual pressure exerted upon the portions of the ends of rope 14 disposed immediately above the near end of said lever 31 will cause said near end of said lever 31 to be depressed, that is shifted towards base 16, for permitting insertion of the shackle of padlock 34 through said apertures 28. Of course, due to the rocking arrangement of said lever 31 downward pressure upon the near end of lever 31 will cause the shifting of the opposite end of said lever 31 towards bridge plate 29, with said tooth 33 impinging itself upon points of the ends of rope 14 immediately thereover, for the purpose of exerting upon said portions a frictional pressure.

The action of tooth 33 upon the ends of the rope will cause said ends to be clamped between said tooth 33 and said bridge plate 29, and the clamping action will be continued to be maintained as long as the padlock shackle remains in apertures 28, with the result that it will be impossible to retract the lock away from the neck of the bag and the loop of rope 14, short of severing or damaging the rope ends within the lock or of damaging or of rendering the lock inoperative. Such result of course will indicate the unauthorized tampering with the lock and thereby with the contents of bag 13.

By virtue of the fact that said pivot pin 32 ts within a depression made in said lever 31 and further due to the fact that a point upon the lower face of said lever 31 immediately below said pivot pin 32 remains in a contactual relation with the upper face of base 16, said lever 31 is incapable of either longitudinal sliding movement with relation to said base 16 or any transverse -shifting movement with relation to said base 16. Yet, -said level-'31V is fully capable of making rocking shifting movement upon said base 16 in the manner and for the purpose specified.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 13 and 14,

.there is'an oblong plate 35 pivotally aixed by one of its ends to the horizontal upper strip portion vof said U- shaped member 22. Said post 23 constitutes the pivot upon which said plate 35 is capable of angular swinging motions. The rivet head of said post 23 prevents the disengagement of said plate 35 from said U-shaped member 22. The opposite free end of said plate 35 is provided with an upturned eye 36.

Said plate 35 is capable of angular swinging motions into an operative position illustrated in full lines in Figs. 13 and 14 or'into an inoperative position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 13. In the operative position of said plate 35 its free end overhangs the free near end of said lever 31, and when two strands of rope 14 are interposed between said near end of lever 31 and the free end of said plate 35 the latter will effectively bar any shifting movement of said near end of lever 31 in an upward direction for thereby continuing the engagement of the opposite end of said lever 31 with the ends of rope 14 and consequent preventing ofthe lock to longitudinally shift upon the rope ends in either direction, all of which is clearly indicated in Fig. 14. Of course, when said plate 35 is shifted to its inoperative position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 13 vthe near end of lever 31 will be capable of shifting in an upward direction for freeing the engagement of the opposite end of said lever 31 with the ends of rope 14 and thereby rendering the lock inoperative. Y

When said plate 35 remains in an operative position wire 37 may be passed through said eye 36 and apertures 28, with the free ends of wire 37 engaged by seal. 38. The wire 37 would prevent angular shifting of said plate 35 to its inoperative position indicated in Fig. 3, unless said wire 37 is broken.v Such latter eventuality would of courseindicate the tampering with the lock, that is YWhat I claimA as, newl is:

1. lockv for locking a pair of cord sections comprisling a base, a pair of parallelly disposed side walls in a substantially perpendicular relation with said base, said Awalls being rigidly faflixed byV their edges to said base, a

bridge plate connecting the opposite edges of said walls adjacentone end thereof, said bridge plate being in a spaced relation with said base, a pair of projections ex- Itending from said walls adjacent the opposite ends thereof,

said projections being disposed above the plane of said 'bridge plate, a lever Yin a longitudinal relation with said base, Vsaid lever being of a substantially arcuate formation, a pivot pin extended through said side walls, said lever at its upper face'intermediately of its ends being provided with a semi-,annular transverse depression for accommodating said pivot pin and for preventing said lever from longitudinal shifting movement, said pivot pin maintain- Ying a point atV the lower face Aof said lever oppositely of said depression in contact with said base for permitting a rocking movement of said lever upon said base, one end of said lever extending forwardly of the adjacent ends of said side walls and said projections, the opposite end of said lever being disposed below said bridge plate, both of said ends being in a spaced relation with said base, and

a tooth projecting from said opposite end of said lever, said tooth being disposed towards said bridge plate in a substantially perpendicular relation therewith, the sections of the cord being adapted for passage in 1a longitudinal relation with the` lock in'a super-imposed relation with said lever and below said bridge plate, said projections being provided with alined apertures for receiving therethrough a padlock shackle for bearing against the cord section and the rst named end of said lever, the action of the padlock shackle upon said iirst named end of said lever causing said tooth to press the cord sections against said bridge plate and further causing the impingement of said tooth upon said cord sections for preventing sliding of the lock upon said cord sections.

2. A lock for locking a pair of cord sections comprising a base, a pair of parallelly disposed side walls in a substantially perpendicular relation with said base, said walls being rigidly afHXed by their edges to said base, a bridge plate connecting the opposite edges of said walls, sa-id bridge plate being in a spaced relation with said base, a lever disposed intermediately of said base and said bridge plate, a pivot extended through said side walls and said lever at a point of the latter intermediate of its ends, said pivot permitting a rocking movement of said lever, said lever including a free end extending forwardly of the adjacent ends of said side walls, the opposite end of said lever being disposed below said bridge plate, both of said ends of said lever being in a spaced relation with said base, a tooth projecting from said opposite end of said lever, said tooth being disposed towards said bridge plate in a substantially perpendicular relation therewith, in the operative position of a pair of cord sections the same being adapted to overlie said lever throughout the entire length of the latter with said tooth engaging the cord sections and pressing the sarne against said bridge plate, a support affixed to said base and extending thereabove in a spaced relation with the adjacent ends of said side walls, and an oblong plate, said oblong plate being pivoted by one of its ends to said support for angular swinging motions to operative or inoperative positions, when in an operative position the free end of said oblong plate overhanging the free end of said lever with the cord sections interposed between said oblong plate and the free end of said lever for preventing upward shifting movement of the free end of said lever and thereby the disengagement of said tooth from said cord sections, while in the inoperative position the free end of said oblong plate being out of engagement with the cord sections and shifted out of the path of the free end of said lever, in its operative position said oblong plate being capable of being tied to said side walls.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 421,032 Pitney Feb. 11, 1890 1,176,510 Young Mar. 21, 1916 1,311,040 Burton July 22, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS 30,000 France Dec. 11, 1925 

